Light-controller.



N0.s4v,287. L PATENQTED MAR. 12,1907,

E.P.KING.

LIGHT CONTROLLER.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T.22, 1904. RBNEWBDOG'T. 22, 41906. l

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EDWIN PEROY KING, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIGNOR, RY MEsNE AssIGN- MENTS, To GEORGE MURPHY, INCORPORATED, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 190'?Y Application filed October 22, 1904. Renewed October 22, 1906. Serial No. 340,071.

T0 (tu whom, t Indy concern:

Be it known that l, EDWIN PEROY KING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Light-Controller, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means used in the art of photography for controlling the light falling upon an object or a person the picture of which is intended to be taken. In modern photography it has been found one of the most important essentials in producing pictures to use the light as one of the means for giving an artistic character to a picture made by the photographic camera, such as can be given to a painting by the brush of the artist. A skilful photographer should use his light always to accentuate more advantageous features of the person or object to be photographed or to hide such parts of the 'ligure or object Ywhich are of less importance and would tend to distract the attention of an observer from the more important parts. Means, therefore, for placing the control of light under the skill and will Of a photographer are of great value and a generally-admitted necessity in the studio of the professional as well as in the den of the amateur photographer.

The present invention has for its object to 'produce a means for controlling the light which is simple in construction and el'l'icient in operation, diHering from the devices heretofore in use by certain features, which will now be more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, illustrates the present invention in one form of construction, of whichy Figure l is a perspective front view of the device; and Fig. 2, a similar rear view of the same, showing some of the sections laterally displaced. i

l in Figs. l and 2 illustrates a base or support, preferablv made of material having great Weight, such as cast-iron, stone, or other suitable material.

Secured to the support l is a standard or upright 2, upon which is slidable a clutch 3, of a construction well known in the art. This yof this light-controller.

clutch is capable of holding at different angles of inclination the frame-section A, comprising a metallic frame, the lower rod of which, by means of a suitable extension, passes through the clutch 3 and is held thereon by a suitable thumb-screw.

The upper end of the frame-section 4 is provided with a rectangular strut or auxiliary support 5, which is provided with a plurality of links 7, adapted to slide on the strutrod as well as on one of the rods of a movable frame-section 6.

As will be seen in Figs. l and 2 of the drawing, the movable frame-section 6 may be displaced laterally along the upper rod of the stationary frame-section 4 and is held in any desirable position, resting with one of its side rods upon the top rod of the frame-section 4 by the slidable links 7 holding the same on the strut 5. The lower rod of the frame-section 4 is provided with similar movable links 8, which support the upper rod l0 of an apron 9, hanging down from the rod l0. This apron may be provided with lateral rods ll and l2 for the purpose of keeping it smooth and straight. The rod 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, consists of two parallel rods bent into a long and narrow loop, the upper rod of which is supported by the movable links S, whereas the lower rod carries the apron proper, 9.

Each of the frames 4 and 6 and the apron 9 are covered with a suitable fabric, and the stationary frame-section A is provided with an extension 13 of the cloth for the purpose of covering the space between the stationary frame-section 4 and the lower apron 9, so as to prevent light to pass between the section and the apron unto the person or Object to be photographed. The fabric used in covering the frames of this light-controller may consist of opaque or transparent material of any color or quality. This of course depends entirely upon the character of work desired to be done in the photographic studio by means In some cases it may be preferable that a black opaque material is used in Order to cut off the light entirely. In other cases a transparent or semitransparent white or colored fabric may be used. The colored fabric will be found especially useful in blending the colors of com pleXion and dress of the person to be photo- IOO IOS

graphed, so as to produce a perfectly-liarnionious cll'ect. il yellow transpa rent fabric may be used, for instance, causing a yellow tint all over the features of a person having freckles, so that the photographic plate, which as a rule is more sensitive to the more refrangible rays of the spectrum than to the less refrangible, may oe able to produce a more uniform ell'ect, whereby the Yfreckles will lose their prominence or disappear entirely, so that retouching of the photographic negative by the photographer will nearly cxtirely be done away with. A red Vfabric may be used in order to accentuate and give more plasticity to an all-white dress or to lace or embroidery effects, which otherwise would appear llat and indistinct. Other numerous uses may be found for differently-colored fabrics. rlhe light-controller may also be used by han ging section G behind section ll, so as not only to cut ofl' the light entirely from certain parts of the features of a person, but in part to dim the same into a semilight, used to advantage to produce highly-artistic effects.

The general use of the light-controller consists .in placing it between the person to be photographed and the window or skylight or ther sources of light and to manipulate the entire screen or sections of the saine, so as to give prominence to some of the details of the features and cause to disappear others and give an artistic light effect in. general to the picture, which to give vas not considered possible heretofore.

Others of the effects produced by using the light-controller are increased details in light gowns, white hair, etc., less retouching in prominent bones, cords, or veins of the human anatomy, equalization of tone between the light and shadow side, and many others.

that is claimed as new and useful, and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent, is-

l.. A light-controller comprising a stand, a series of laterally-displaccable frames carried by said stand, and a covering carried by each frame.

2. A light-controller comprising a stand, a series of laterally-displaccable frames carried by said stand, and a transparent covering carried by each frame.

3. A light-controller comprising a stand, a series of laterally-displaceable frames carried by said staad, and a transparent colored covering carried by each frame.

et.A A light-controller of substantially the class described, having one or more frames, each carrying a covering adapted to pass monochrome light only.

5. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of laterally-displace able fra-nies, and

movable links between each two abutting frames and adapted to connect the saine.

(i. A light-controller comprising a stand, a

plurality of laterall \,"displaceable frames, a covering carried by ach frame, and movable links between each two abutting frames and adapted to connect the same.

7. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of laterally-llisplaceable frames, a transparent covering carried by each frame, and movable links between each two abutting frames and adapted to connect the same.

S. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of laterally-displaceable frames, a transparent colored covering carried by each frame, and movable links between each two abutting Yframes and adapted to connect the same.

9. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of laterally-displaccable frames, a covering carried by each 'frame and adapted to pass monochrome light only, and movable links between each two aflmtting frames and adapted to connect the sameA .1.0. illight-controllercomprising a stand, a

lframe slid ably secured thereon, two or .more

vframes laterally displaceable in relation lo said slidablc frame, and a covering carried by each frame.

ll. il light-controller comprising a stand, a `fran'ie slida-bly secured. thereon, two or more 'frames laterally displaceable in relation lo said slidable frame, and a trans'ynnent covering carried by each frame.

12. A light-controller comprising a stand, a trame slidably secured thereon, two or more frames laterally displaceable in. relation to said slid able f ame, and a transparent colored covering carried by each frame.

13. A light-controller comprising a stand, a frame slidably secured thereon, a plurality of 'frames laterally disl'ilaceable in relation to said slidable frame, and a covering carried by each frame and adapted. to pass mouw chrome light only.

let. il light-controller comprising a stand, a 'fra-me slida-bly secured thereon, a plurality of frames laterally displaceable in. relation. to said slid able frame, a covering carried by cach frame, and movable links between cach two abutting frames and adapted to connect the same.

l5. il light-controller comprising a stand, a frame slidably secured thereon, a plurality of frames laterally displaceable in relation to said slidable frame, a transparent covering carried by each frame, and movable links between each two abutting frames and adapted. to connect the same.

16. A light-controller comprising a stand, a frame slidably secured thereon, a plurality of frames laterally displaceable in relation to said slidable frame, a-transparent colored covering carried by each frame, and movable links between each two abutting frames and adapted to connect the same,

17. A light-controller comprising a stand, a 'frame slidably secured thereon, a plurality IOO il A

of frames laterally displaceable in relation to said slidable frame, a covering carried by each frame and adapted to pass monochrome light only, and movable links between each two abutting frames and adapted to connect the same.

18. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of frames, a covering for each frame, the covering of at least one of which extends beyond the lower end of its frame and is adapted to cover the space between abutting frames.

19. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of frames, a transparent covering 'for each frame, the covering of at least one of which. extends beyond the lower end of its frame and is adapted to cover the space between abutting frames.

20. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of frames, a transparent colored covering for each frame, vthe covering of at least one of which extends beyond the lower end of its frame and is adapted to cover the space between abutting Jframes.

CP u

21. A light-controller comprising a stand, a plurality of frames, a covering for each frame and adapted to pass monochrome li ht only, the covering of at least one o'l wich extends beyond the lower end of its frame and is adapted to cover the space between abutting Jframes.

22. A light-controller comprising in combination a stand, an inclined `frame, a socket secured to said frame and adapted to move on said stand, a second frame arran ed at the top of the first frame atan angle t ereto and capable of lateral displacement, and an apron arranged at the bottom of said rst frame and capable of lateral displacement.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand7 in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 5th day of October, 1904.

E. PERCY KING.

In presence oi- RALPH JULIAN SAoHERs, MIMA M. RAMsEY. 

